Pipe holding slip



May 17, 1932. H. R. DECKER PIPE HOLDING SLIP Filed Sept. 27, 1926 Patented May 17, 1932 R. DECKER, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS PIPE HOLDING SLIP Application filed September 27, 1926. Serial No. 137,913.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a pipe holding slip.

One object of the invention is to provide a slip of the character described specially designed to be inserted in a rotary table, around a pipe, for the purpose of suspending the pipe in a well bore, and is of such construction that it will grip the pipe to be held, uniformly all the way around and will thus not be liable to dent or crush the pipe.

Another object of the invention is to provide a slip of the character described formed of independent sections, each section embodying a plurality of independent, pipe engaging is jaws, anchored in fixed relation to each other. it is desirable that these jaws be fixed in their holders so that they will be maintained in transverse alignment and will thus engage the pipe all the way around when the slip is inserted in the rotary table spider around said pipe. It the jaws are held loosely in the holders so that they have independent movement relative to each other, it will often happen that some of the jaws will drop down further into the rotary table spider than others and will consequently exert greater inward pressure on the pipe than the other jaws, or the jaws will assume a position in the spider which will not permit them to grip the pipe uniformly, and when the full weight of the pipe is sustained by the slip the pipe will be crushed, or dented, by reason of the unequal pressure of the jaws against it. Accordingly it is one-of the main objects of this invention to provide a slip the jaws of whose sections are securely anchored in fixed relation to each other.

Another object of the invention is to provide a slip of the character described composed of independent sections, each section comprising upper and lower arcuate plates or anchors with a plurality of pipe engaging jaws between them and whose respective upper and lower ends are suitably secured to said anchors, with means for relieving said securing means from the strain of the load carried by the slip, to the end that they will not become broken or sheared off when the slip is subjected to the full strain of the load It sometimes happens that the jaws are sub ected to a lateral strain, particularly when the slip sections are not disposed directly opposite each other, or not disposed in uniform spaced relation to each other around the pipe. In the present instance means have been provided for transmitting this lateral strain from one jaw to the adacent jaws directly rather than to the anchorage of said to the holder to the end that said anchorage will not be broken or sheared.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a slip of the character described which is equipped with anovel type of handle or bail for handling the slip sections independently.

\Vit-h the above and other objects in view this invention has particular relation to certain'novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example or which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherem:-

I Figure 1 shows a fragmentary plan view of the slip.

Figure 2 shows a side elevation thereof, partly in section.

Figure 3 shows a fragmentary inside view of one of the end jaws-of a slip section,

Figure 4 shows a fragmentary inside view of one of the end jaws of a slip section showing also a fragmentary sectional view of the associated lower'anchor.

Figures 5 and 6 show fragmentary plan views of the respective lower end anchors,

and

Figures 7 and 8 show side and sectional views, respectively, of said anchors.

Referring now more particularly to the Q9 drawings wherein like numerals of references designate similar parts in each of the figures. The numerals 1, 1 designate the arcuate upper end plates of jaw anchors of the respective slip sections and the numerals :2. designate the respective arcuate lower end. plates or jaw anchors. Each section of the slip includes a plurality of pipe engaging jaws 3, 3, the end jaws 3 of each section of the slip being substantially similar 1 0 to the other jaws but differing therefrom in certain particulars to be hereinafter mentioned. These jaws are substantially rectangular in cross section and are relatively thin and radially disposed andtheir outer edges converge downwardly to conform to the contour of the rotary spider which has a downwardly converging seat to receive said slip. The inner edges of the jaws are pref-- erably transversely toothed to engage the pipe 4 to be suspended thereby. These teeth are straight, that is, they extend tangentially with respect to the surface of the pipe, as shown in Figure 1. iVith a light load only the central part of the teeth will engage the pipe but if the load is heavy the teeth will bite into the pipe for a greater length so that the greater the load of pipe, the greater the length of contact of the teeth with the pipe. This type of slip will hold the pipe against turning so that the upper sections of pipe may be unscrewed from the pipe, or additional sections added thereto without the use of baclcup tongs to hold the pipe in the r0- tary table against rotation.

The outer edges of the jaws are disposed parallel with said teeth so that only the cor ners of said edges will engage the rotary spider and consequently the slip sections are not so liable to stick in the spider when it is desired to remove them. The upper ends of the jaws are fittedinto radial grooves 5 in the under side of the anchors 1 and having the upwardly extending studs 6 which fit through corresonding openings 7 in the anchors 1 and which are secured therein in any desirable manner, as by the nuts 8 which are threaded on to said studs 6 and which are seated, or enclosed, in the countersunk re cesses 9 in the upper sides of the anchors 1. The anchors 1 rest on the upper ends of the corresponding jaw 3, 3, and said upper ends of said jaws have the upward extensions 10, the outer edges of said extensions 10 converging upwardly and the inner sides of the anchors 1 ,being formed with upwardly con verging bearing faces 1 which bear against said extensions 10 and prevent the jaws from .lower anchors and are held against circumferential movement relative to said anchors and relative to each other by the upper and lower spacers 11, 15, which are formed integrally with the respective anchors and which fit between the jaws at their upper and lower ends respectively. The outer side of each anchor 2 has arcuate upstanding tenons 16, whose outer side is beveled inwardly, as at 17, and these tenons have the notches, or bearings 18, 18' aligned with the correspondaws 3, 3' have the mor'tises 19, which receive said tenons when these jaws are seated in said notches. The outer edges of the jaws extend out slightly beyond the anchor 2 and the outer sides of the tenons 16 being beveled,

when the slip is seated in the rotary spider and is under the stress of a load of pipe there will be an interlocking effect between said tenon and mortises which will tend to hold the corresponding anchor 2 up closely against the lower ends of the corresponding jaws and this will prevent any relative movement of said jaws and anchor 2 and will tend to protect the studs 12 from strain or shearing effect. The lower ends of the jaws 3, 3 are held against radial movement by reason of the fact that they abut against the outer ends 20 of the respective radial grooves 11, 11.

It is to be noted from an inspection of Figures 3 and 4 that the end jaws 3 of each section have their outer sides counter-sunk at their lower ends as indicated by the numeral 20. These counter sunk portions are provided to receive the upstanding lugs 21 at the ends of the anchors 2 to the end that each end jaw of the slip will be thoroughly braced against movement in any direction, the lugs 21 being countersunk into the jaws so that there will be no projection for one section of the slip to hang on when lowering them into the rotary spider.

The ends of each anchor 1 have the outside notches 22 which terminate in the upwardly and outwardly inclined shoulders 23. Each section of the slip is provided with a bail, or handle 21 of substantially an inverted U-shaped form and whose inner ends are inwardly turned through the bearings 26 in opposing ends of the respective anchors 1. These bails, when not in use, will lie back in the notches in substantially a horizontal plane beneath the upper surface of the anchors 1 and will thus be protected against breakage from the elevators or from other mg rooves 11, 11 and the lower ends of the I heavy objects in carrying on drilling operas shown in Figure 1. These are provided "so that any twisting or lateral strain to which one of the jaws may be subjected will be transmitted directly to the other aws rather than to the studs 12 so as to prevent the shearing or breaking-of said studs.

W'hat I claim is 1. A pipe holding slip comprising a pluea set holder composed of an upper and 'a lower arcuate anchor whose inner sides have radial H grooves and a plurality of jaws between said anchors whose ends are fitted into the corresponding grooves, means securin said jaws said; anchors, the upper ends 0 said jaws having upward extensions which abut against the inner side of said upper anchor and the 33 lower anchor having outside abutments against the inner sides or which the lower ends of the respectivev jaws abut, saidupper anchor and the abutments of the lower anchor I being thus adapted to prevent the outward, or radial, movement of the jaws relative to said holder, the outer sides of theend jaws of said sections being countersunk at their lower ends and upwardly extending projec-I tions carried by the lower anchor and resting in said respective countersunk portions.

2. A pipe holding slip comprising a plurality of sections, each section including an upper and a lower arcuate anchor, a plurality of jaws whose respective ends are secured to said respective anchors, said anchors and jaws having abutting parts disposed to prevent the outward, or radial movement of the jaws with respect to said anchors andprojections carried .bythe facing sides of said jaws whichabut- 3. A pipe holding slip comprising a plurality of sections, each section including an upper and a lower arcuate anchor, a plucured to said'respective'anchors, said anchors and jaws having abutting parts disposedto prevent the outward, or radial movement of he jaws with respect to said anchors, spacerscarried by said anchors and located between adjacent jaws at their upper and lower ends which are provided to prevent the lat oral movement of said jaws relative to the anchors. Y

i. A pipe holding slip comprising aplurality of sections, each section including an er and a lower arcuate anchor, a plurality aws whose respective ends are secured to s. d respective anchors, said anchors and jaws having abutting parts disposed to prev nt the outward, or radial, movement of the "s with respect to said anchors, upwardly tending arcuate tenons integral with the lower anchor whose outer sides are inwardly beveled, the lower ends of the corresponding we having correpondingly shaped mortises which said tenon fits.

A pipe holding slip comprising a plurality of sections, each section including an upper and a lower arcuate anchor, a plurality of jaws whose respective ends are secured to id respective anchors, said anchors and aws having abutting parts disposed to prevent the outward, or radial movement of the M with respect to said anchors, arcuate tsnons carried by one of said anchors whose v V N I rality of jaws whose respective ends are sej outer sides are inwardly beveled, the adj acent ends of the jaws having correspondingly shaped mortises adapted to receive said tenon 6. A slipsectioncomprising an upper and lower arcuate anchor, saidanchors forming a holder, a plurality 'ofjaws substantially rectan lar in cross section ermanentl secured in and radially disposed in said holder, gmeans securing respective ends of the said jaws to the corresponding anchors and means carried by the anchors and abutting theouter edgesoi the jaws, at their upper-and lower ends, and means abutting the sides of the said jaws at their upper and lower ends, said abutting parts retaining the jaws against movement with respect to the holder.

7. A slip section comprising an upper and a lower anchor and pipe holding jaws mounted between them, said upper anchor having outside end notches adjacent its respective. ends, bearings extending inwardly from said notches, a U-shaped bail whose ends work in the respective notches and are inwardly turned into said bearings.

8. A pipe holding slip COIIIPIlSlIlg a plu rality of sections, each section including an upper and lower arcuate anchor, a plurality of jaws whose respective ends are secured to said respective anchors, said anchors and jaws having abutting parts disposed to prevent the outward or radial movement of the aws with respect to each other,'and abutting means carried by the facing sides of the jaws. j, 9. A pipe holding slip comprising a plurality of sections, each section including an upper-and lower arcuate anchor, a plurality gof jaws whose respective ends are secured inradial'grooves in the respective anchors, said anchors andjaws'having abutting parts disposed to prevent the outward or radial movement of the jaws with respect to the anchors and abutting means carried by the facing sides of the said jaws.

10. In a pipe holding slip a section having a plurality of jaws, an anchor to which said jaws are attached, a handle pivot-ally connected to the anchor to'swing on a substantially horizontal axis and an abutment on the anchor to limit the range of movement of the handle upwardly toward the vertical axis of the slip.

11. In a pipe holding slip, a slip section, a handle pivotally connected to the upper end of said section to swing on a substantially horizontal axis and an abutment on the slip section to limit the range of movement of the handle upwardly toward the vertical axis of the slip.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HARRY R. DECKER,

lid 

